Fighting continues in Maungdaw, Paletwa townships

By DMG 01 Sep 2022

DMG Newsroom
1 September 2022, Maungdaw

Clashes have continued for about a month between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township and neighbouring Chin State’s Paletwa Township, with the first hostilities exchanged in early August and military tensions running high across other parts of Arakan State as well, AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha said.

“For now, fierce clashes are ongoing in Maungdaw, as well as near the India border in Paletwa. And there have also been fierce clashes near Namada village in Paletwa,” he told DMG.

Myanmar’s military regime used gunships in the Maungdaw and Paletwa fighting, according to local residents.

Clashes broke out near Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh on August 2 and have continued for much of the month, with the AA seizing a junta outpost at the border’s Milepost No. 40 on Tuesday.

The two sides also clashed west of Myeik Wa village in Paletwa Township on Wednesday, with the fighting continuing into Thursday and the regime suffering 10 fatalities, the AA said. DMG could not independently verify its account of the hostilities.

The Myanmar military dropped bombs from the air near Milepost No. 40 on the Myanmar-Bangladeshi border on Thursday at about noon, according to former Maungdaw Township lawmaker U Maung Ohn.

“Locals told me that Myanmar military aircraft bombed near mile post No. 40 for around 20 minutes,” he said.

The two sides also clashed in the mountains near Namada village in Paletwa Township on Thursday morning, said a local resident from Paletwa town.

“I heard artillery shells fired by Infantry Battalion 289 based in Paletwa. I also heard an exchange of gunfire,” he said.

DMG was unable to contact junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun for comment.

After two years of fighting from late 2018 to November 2020, the Myanmar military and Arakan Army reached an unofficial ceasefire. But the peace pact has appeared on the verge of total collapse for weeks amid months of escalating military tensions and a series of clashes between the two sides across multiple Arakan State townships, and in Paletwa Township.